Titan: Facts About Saturn's Largest Moon Titan: Facts About Saturn's Largest Moon By Nola Taylor Redd, Space.com Contributor | June 30, 2016 04:56pm ET MORE This view shows a close up of toward the south polar region of Saturn's largest moon, Titan, and show a depression within the moon's orange and blue haze layers near the south pole. NASA’s Cassini spacecraft snapped the image on Sept. 11, 2011 and it was released on Dec. 22. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Space Science Institute Titan is Saturn's largest moon and the second largest in the solar system (after Ganymede of Jupiter). It is the only moon in the solar system with clouds and a dense, planet-like atmosphere. Scientists believe that conditions on Titan are similar to Earth's early years (the main difference is that, because it is closer to the sun, Earth has always been warmer).

According to NASA , "In many respects, Saturn's largest moon, Titan, is one of the most Earth-like worlds we have found to date." Titan stats Diameter: 3,200 miles (5,150 kilometers), about half the size of Earth and almost as large as Mars Surface temperature: minus 290 Fahrenheit (minus 179 degrees Celsius), which makes water as hard as rocks and allows methane to be found in its liquid form Surface pressure: Slightly higher than Earth's pressure. Earth's pressure at sea level is 1 bar while Titan's is 1.6 bars. Orbital period: 15,945 days NASA's Cassini spacecraft peers through the murk of Titan's thick atmosphere in this view, taken with Cassini's narrow-angle camera on Sept. 25, 2008. Credit: NASA/JPL/Space Science Institute Other Titan facts Titan's name comes from Greek mythology. The Titans were elder gods who ruled the universe before the Olympians came to power, according to the Theoi Project website. The moon was discovered by Dutch astronomer Christiaan Huygens in 1655.

The Huygens lander probe sent to the moon aboard NASA's Cassini spacecraft by the European Space Agency is named in his honor. Huygens was the first human-built object to land on Titan's surface. [ Amazing Photos of Titan ] Titan's diameter is 50 percent larger than that of Earth's moon . Titan is larger than the planet Mercury but is half the mass of the planet. Titan's mass is composed mainly of water in the form of ice and rocky material. Titan has no magnetic field. Atmosphere of Titan Titan is surrounded by an orange haze that kept its surface a mystery for Earth's scientists until the arrival of the Cassini mission. Titan's atmosphere extends about 370 miles high (about 600 kilometers), which makes it a lot higher than Earth's atmosphere. Because the atmosphere is so high, Titan was thought to be the largest moon in the solar system for a long time. It wasn't until 1980 that Voyager was close enough to discover it was actually smaller than Ganymede. Titan's atmosphere is active and complex , and it is mainly composed of nitrogen (95 percent) and methane (5 percent).

Titan also has a presence of organic molecules that contain carbon and hydrogen, and that often include oxygen and other elements similar to what is found in Earth's atmosphere and that are essential for life. There is an unsolved mystery surrounding Titan's atmosphere: Because methane is broken down by sunlight, scientists believe there is another source that replenishes what is lost. One potential source of methane is volcanic activity, but this has yet to be confirmed. Titan's atmosphere may escape to space in a similar way that Earth's atmosphere does . The Cassini spacecraft has detected polar winds that draw methane and nitrogen (charged with interactions with light) out along Saturn's magnetic field and out of the atmosphere. A similar process is believed to happen on Earth with our own magnetic field. Magic Island There is an abundance of methane lakes , which are mainly concentrated near its southern pole. In 2014, scientists found a transient feature they playfully referred to as " Magic Island ." It's possible that nitrogen bubbles formed in Titan's oceans sit on the surface for a period of time, creating a temporary island that eventually dissipates.

"What I think is really special about Titan is that it has liquid methane and ethane lakes and seas, making it the only other world in the solar system that has stable liquids on its surfaces," Jason Hofgartner, a planetary scientist at Cornell University, told Space.com in 2014. "It not only has lakes and seas, but also rivers and even rain. It has what we call a hydrological cycle, and we can study it as an analog to Earth's hydrological cycle — and it's the only other place we know of where we can do that." Large areas of Titan's surface are covered with sand dunes made of hydrocarbon. Dunes on Titan may resemble the Namibian desert in Africa. Because methane exists as a liquid on Titan, it also evaporates and forms clouds, which occasionally causes methane rain . Clouds of methane ice and cyanide gas float over the moon's surface. "Titan continues to amaze with natural processes similar to those on the Earth, yet involving materials different from our familiar water," Cassini deputy project scientist Scott Edgington, of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, said in a statement .

Sunlight is quite dim on Titan, and climate is driven mostly by changes in the amount of light that accompanies the seasons. Saturn's Largest Moon Titan: A World Much Like Earth - YouTube Saturn's Largest Moon Titan: A World Much Like Earth Want to watch this again later? Sign in to add this video to a playlist. Need to report the video? Sign in to report inappropriate content. The interactive transcript could not be loaded. Loading... Rating is available when the video has been rented. This feature is not available right now. Please try again later. Uploaded on Mar 5, 2010 ... Titan Saturn System Mission - Titan Canyon Country. Titan Saturn System Mission (TSSM) is a joint NASA/ESA proposal for an exploration of Saturn and its moons Titan and Enceladus, where many complex phenomena have been revealed by the recent CassiniHuygens mission. --- • --- With an estimated NASA cost of $2.5 Billion (FY07), TSSM was originally proposed to launch in 2020, get gravity assists from Earth and Venus, and arrive at the Saturn system in 2029.

The 4-year prime mission would include a two-year Saturn tour, a 2-month Titan aero-sampling phase, and a 20-month Titan orbit phase. The Titan Saturn System Mission (TSSM) was officially created in January 2009 by the merging of the ESA's Titan and Enceladus Mission (TandEM) with NASA's Titan Explorer 2007 study, although plans to combine both concepts date at least back to early 2008 TSSM was competing against the Europa Jupiter System Mission (EJSM) proposal for funding since then, however in February 2009 it was announced that NASA/ESA had given EJSM priority ahead of TSSM, although TSSM will continue to be studied for a later launch date, probably sometime in the 2020s. Detailed assessment reports of the mission elements as well as a specific concept for the lake landing-module called Titan Mare Explorer (TiME) have been released in February and October 2009, respectively. • --- Since its discovery in 1655 by the Dutch astronomer Christiaan Huygens, the surface of Titan has remained largely a mystery.

A thick, cloudy atmosphere, largely impenetrable by telescopes and cameras, envelops Saturn's largest moon. In December 2004, the robotic Huygens probe detached from the Cassini spacecraft and descended into Titan's thick, hazy atmosphere in January of 2005. Lasting a mere 3 hours in the cold atmosphere and on the surface of Titan (about minus 178 degrees Celsius, or minus 289 degrees Fahrenheit), the probe revealed a thick atmosphere, land masses with signs of erosion, and seas of methane on the surface. The Huygens probe came to rest on what appeared to be a floodplain, surrounded by rounded cobbles of water ice. About 100 kilometers smaller in diameter than Jupiter's moon Ganymede, Titan is the second largest moon in our solar system. With an equatorial radius of 2,575 kilometers (1,600 miles), Titan is larger than both the Earth's moon and the planet Mercury. Titan orbits Saturn at a distance of about 1.2 million kilometers (745,000 miles), taking almost 16 days to complete a full orbit.

Titan is of great interest to scientists because it is the only moon in the solar system known to have clouds, a mysterious, thick, planet-like atmosphere and surface lakes. Titan, moon of Saturn - The Solar System on Sea and Sky (NASA/JPL/Space Science Institute) The Giant Titan [TY-tun] is the fifteenth of Saturn's moons and is the largest. It is also the second largest moon in the Solar System. Titan was names after the ancient race of giants in Greek Mythology. They were the children of Uranus and Gaia, who sought to rule the heavens but were overthrown by the family of Zeus. Titan was discovered in 1655 by the Dutch astronomer Christiaan Huygens. Titan was once thought to be the largest planet in the Solar System, but recent discoveries have shown that the Moon's thick atmosphere hides a smaller rocky surface that is slightly smaller than Jupiter's moon, Ganymede. Though it is only the second largest moon in the Solar System, it is still larger than the planets Mercury and Pluto.

False color radar image of Titan showing surface features (NASA/JPL/Space Science Institute) (NASA/JPL) The Moon With an Atmosphere Even before the Voyager encounters with Saturn, astronomers thought that Titan might have an atmosphere. They also thought that there might be oceans of liquid methane on the Moon's surface. When the Voyager spacecraft finally arrived, all that could be seen of Titan was a dense and impenetrable layer of clouds in a thick atmosphere. Titan was found to have an atmosphere denser than that of Earth and Mars. The atmospheric pressure at the surface is believed to be about 1.6 bars, about 60% greater that on Earth. The atmosphere is composed primarily of Nitrogen with traces of other hydrocarbons such as ethane, hydrogen cyanide, and carbon dioxide. This gives it a rich, orange color. These atmospheric elements are necessary building blocks for life. Astronomers believe that Titan may resemble the Earth at an early stage in its development. They also think that Titan is a prime candidate for the possibility of extraterrestrial life. Titan's surface temperature averages -289°F (-178° C).

Panoramic view of the surface of Titan as seen by the European Space Agency's Huygens probe as it descended to the surface. Huygens was the first spacecraft to land on an alien moon. (ESA/NASA/JPL/University of Arizona) Features of Titan Titan is the only known moon with a fully developed, planet-like atmosphere. Unfortunately, this thick atmosphere prevented us from learning much about its surface features during the Voyager missions. What we do know is that it appears to be composed of about half water ice and half rocky material. It is believed to be similar in composition to many of Saturn's other moons, but is much denser because of its large size and higher gravity. Titan's atmosphere is believed to have two cloud layers at about 125 miles (200 km) and 186 miles (300 km) above the surface. Titan has no known magnetic field, and sometimes orbits outside Saturn's magnetosphere. This exposes it directly to the solar wind, which may ionize and remove particles from the atmosphere. In 2004, the Cassini probe arrived at Saturn and dropped a probe called Huygens into Titan's atmosphere.

It landed and sent back images of the surface as well as measurements of Titan's atmosphere. Cassini was then able to map Titan's surface using radar, as was done on the Magellan mission to Venus. As amazing as these images were, they only posed more questions than answers. But thanks to Cassini, we have now witnessed some of the most detailed images yet of the ringed planet and her moons. Liquid Lakes Because Titan has a thick atmosphere containing hydrocarbons, scientists had long theorized that there could be lakes of liquid methane and ethane on its surface. When the Voyager spacecraft encountered Titan in 1980 and 1981, they were unable to see beneath the moon's thick layer of clouds. NASA's Cassini spacecraft arrived at Saturn in 2005 armed with radar. The radar instruments were able to see through the clouds and map the moon's surface. Radar images taken in 2006 proved the existence of liquid lakes on Titan. These are the first liquid lakes seen anywhere in the Solar System besides Earth. The largest of these newly discovered lakes is larger than the Great Lakes on Earth. In addition to the lakes, channels resembling rivers were observed. This provided strong evidence of liquid rain.

Scientists believe that rain composed of liquid methane and ethane regularly falls across Titan's surface. In fact, the weather on Titan may be very similar to weather patterns on Earth. Amazing Photos: Titan Cassini Sees Weird Feature in Titan's Sea Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASI/Cornell Titan is Saturn's largest moon and the only satellite in our solar system known to harbor a thick atmosphere. See amazing photos of Titan as seen by NASA's Cassini spacecraft. HERE: These three images, created from radar data collected by NASA's Cassini spacecraft, show the evolution of a strange feature in Ligeia Mare, one of the largest hydrocarbon seas on Saturn's giant moon Titan. Read the Full Story . Titan and Rhea Together Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Space Science Institute Saturn's largest and second largest moons, Titan and Rhea, appear to be stacked on top of each other in this true-color scene from NASA's Cassini spacecraft released on Dec. 23, 2013. The north polar hood can be seen on Titan appearing as a detached layer at the top of the moon on the top right. This view looks toward the Saturn-facing side of the smaller Rhea.

[ Read the Full Story Here ] A Stormy Arc on Titan Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Space Science Institute The south polar vortex at Saturn's moon Titan stands out in the dark south against the orange and blue haze layers as seen by NASA's Cassini spacecraft. This image suggests that the polar vortex clouds form at a much higher altitude, where sunlight can still reach, than the surrounding haze. This image, released on Dec. 23, 2013, was taken on July 30 at a distance of 895,000 miles (1.441 million kilometers) from Titan. [ Read the Full Story Here ] Titan's Land of Lakes Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Space Science Institute NASA's Cassini spacecraft used a special spectral filter to peer through the hazy atmosphere of Saturn's moon Titan and see its strange hydrocarbon lakes. The images for this view, released on Dec. 23, 2013, were taken on Oct. 7 and feature the leading face of Titan as seen in red, green and blue spectral filters combined to create a natural-color view.

[ Read the Full Story Here ] Titan's Land of Lakes (Annotated) Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Space Science Institute This annotated view of Titan as seen from NASA's Cassini spacecraft shows the largest hydrocarbon lakes on the Saturn moon, including the largest sea Kraken Mare. Titan's lakes are named for mythological creatures. The images for this view, released on Dec. 23, 2013, were taken on Oct. 7. [ Read the Full Story Here ] Titan's Northern Lakes: Salt Flats? Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona/University of Idaho This false-color mosaic, made from infrared data collected by NASA's Cassini spacecraft, reveals the differences in the composition of surface materials around hydrocarbon lakes at Titan, Saturn's largest moon. Image released Oct. 23, 2013. [ Read the Full Story on Titan's Lakes Here ] Bird's Eye View of the Land of Lakes Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/SSI/JHUAPL/Univ. of Arizona The vast hydrocarbon seas and lakes (dark shapes) near the north pole of Saturn's moon Titan sprawl out beneath the watchful eye of NASA's Cassini spacecraft. Image released Oct.

23, 2013. [ Read the Full Story on Titan's Lakes Here ] Titan's North: The Big Picture Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/SSI/JHUAPL/Univ. of Arizona Almost all of the hydrocarbon seas and lakes on the surface of Saturn's moon Titan cluster around the north pole, as can be seen in this mosaic from NASA's Cassini mission. Image released Oct. 23, 2013. [ Read the Full Story on Titan's Lakes Here ] Dark Lakes on Bright Titan Landscape Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/SSI/JHUAPL/Univ. of Arizona Ultracold hydrocarbon lakes and seas (dark shapes) near the north pole of Saturn's moon Titan can be seen embedded in some kind of bright surface material in this infrared mosaic from NASA's Cassini mission. Image released Oct. 23, 2013. [ Read the Full Story on Titan's Lakes Here ] Titan polar vortex Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Space Science Institute The recently formed south polar vortex stands out in the color-swaddled atmosphere of Saturn's largest moon, Titan, in this natural color view from NASA's Cassini spacecraft.

[ Full Story ] Titan Atmosphere Season Change Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Space Science Institute This night-side photo of Titan taken by the Cassini spacecraft shows a buildup of haze over the Saturn moon's south pole (bottom). Cassini has found a build up of haze over the south pole (bottom). New results from Cassini's infrared spectrometer show that air is now sinking at the south pole, leading to increased temperatures at high altitude and a large enrichment in trace gases. Image released Nov. 28, 2012. Saturn Moon Titan Atmosphere Photo Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Space Science Institute This day-side photo of Titan taken by the Cassini spacecraft shows a buildup of haze over the Saturn moon's south pole (bottom). Cassini has found a build up of haze over the south pole (bottom). New results from Cassini's infrared spectrometer show that air is now sinking at the south pole, leading to increased temperatures at high altitude and a large enrichment in trace gases. Image released Nov. 28, 2012.

Cassini Shot of Saturn Moons Dione and Titan Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Space Science Institute Saturn's largest moon, Titan, appears deceptively small paired here with Dione, Saturn's third-largest moon, in this shot snapped by NASA's Cassini spacecraft on Nov. 6, 2011. Titan is much farther from the spacecraft than Dione is in this view. The view was captured at a distance of approximately 684,000 miles (1.1 million kilometers) from Titan but only about 85,000 miles (136,000 km) from Dione. Behold, Titan Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Space Science Institute This view shows a close up of toward the south polar region of Saturn's largest moon, Titan, and show a depression within the moon's orange and blue haze layers near the south pole. NASA’s Cassini spacecraft snapped the image on Sept. 11, 2011 and it was released on Dec. 22.

Saturn Holiday Treats: Titan and the Rings Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Space Science Institute The colorful globe of Saturn's largest moon, Titan, passes in front of the planet and its rings in this true color snapshot from NASA's Cassini spacecraft taken on May 21, 2011 and released on Dec. 22. Titan's Orangey Blue Haze Up Close Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Space Science Institute This wide-angle view of Titan shows Saturn’s largest moon as it appeared on Sept. 11, 2011 to NASA’s Cassini spacecraft, which snapped the photo from a distance of about 83,000 miles. This image was released on Dec. 22. Saturn Holiday Treats: Titan and Tethys Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Space Science Institute Saturn's moon Tethys, with its stark white icy surface, peeps out from behind the larger, hazy, colorful Titan in this Cassini view of the two moons. Saturn's rings lie between the two. NASA's Cassini spacecraft snapped this photo on May 21, 2011 and it was released on Dec. 22.

Saturn Holiday Treats: Titan and Dione Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Space Science Institute Saturn's third-largest moon Dione can be seen through the haze of its largest moon, Titan, in this view of the two posing before the planet and its rings from NASA's Cassini spacecraft released on Dec. 22, 2011. The north polar hood can be seen on Titan appearing as a detached layer at the top of the moon here. One Saturn Moon Blows Oxygen to Another Credit: NASA/JPL/SSI The atmosphere of Titan can be seen on the Saturn moon's limb in this stunning view from NASA's Cassini spacecraft. Plunge Into an Alien World A global detached haze layer and discrete cloud-like features high above Titan's northern terminator (day-night transition) are visible in this close-up image acquired on October 24, 2004, as the Cassini spacecraft neared its first close encounter with Titan. This image is a colorized version of an ultraviolet image.

Mammoth Cloud Engulfs Titan's North Pole Credit: NASA, JPL This composite image shows the cloud, imaged at a distance of 90,000 kilometers (54,000 miles) during a Titan flyby designed to observe the limb of the moon. The cloud extends down to 60 degrees north latitude. Cassini Snaps Closest Images Ever of Saturn's Moon Titan Credit: NASA/JPL/Space Science Institute A new picture of Titan by the Cassini spacecraft reveals a bright region in the middle named Xanadu. Scientists don't know what it is. New Images of Titan Baffle Astronomers Credit: NASA/JPL/University of Arizona Surface features of Titan come through in this false-color infrared image. The inset picture shows the landing site of Cassini's piggybacked Huygens probe. Titan: A Good Mystery Credit: NASA/JPL Titan as Orange Globe: Titan as we might see it with our eyes from the Cassini UV camera (colorized). Huygens Loses Communication Line With Cassini Spacecraft Credit: ESA/NASA/University of Arizona.

This first panorama of Titan released by ESA shows a full 360-degree view around the Huygens probe. The left-hand side shows a boundary between light and dark areas. The white streaks seen near this boundary could be ground 'fog', as they were not immediately visible from higher altitudes. Huygens drifted over a plateau (centre of image) and was heading towards its landing site in a dark area (right) during descent. Huygens Probe Sheds New Light on Titan Credit: ESA/NASA/JPL/University of Arizona. This mosaic of three frames taken by Huygens provides unprecedented detail of a high ridge area on Titan's surface, including the flow down into a major river channel from different sources. Unmasking Titan: Volcano Spotted on Saturn's Smoggy Moon Credit: Nature/Cassini/NASA/ESA/Sotin et al. A false-color infrared mosaic of Titan show features not visible to the eye: atmosphere (red); surface (green and blue). The inset shows an a prominent circular feature thought to be a volcano with flows extending westward. Image Cassini Probe Spies Lake-Like Feature on Titan Credit: NASA/JPL/Space Science Institute.

This view of Titan's south polar region reveals an intriguing dark feature that may be the site of a past or present lake of liquid hydrocarbons. Scientists Reconsider Habitability of Saturn's Moon Credit: NASA/JPL/Space Science Institute False color image of Saturn's moon Titan. Shoreline Spotted on Saturn's Moon Titan Credit: NASA/JPL Radar image of Titan showing that the boundary of the bright (rough) region and the dark (smooth) region appears to be a shoreline. The image is 175 kilometers high and 330 kilometers wide (109 miles by 205 miles), and is located at 66 degrees south latitude, 356 degrees west longitude in the southern hemisphere of Titan. Image New View of Titan: Strong Winds, Soft Ground and Lightning Images from the DISR Side-Looking Imager and from the Medium Resolution Imager, acquired after landing. The horizon’s position implies a pitch of the DISR, nose-upward, by 1-2° with no measurable roll. ‘Stones’ in the foreground are 10-15 cm in size, presumably made of water ice, and these lie on a darker, finer-grained substrate.

The scene evokes the possibility of a dry lakebed. Credits: ESA/NASA/University of Arizona The 30-Year Forecast: Predicting Titan's Clouds Credit: NASA/JPL/University of Arizona These false-colour images of Titan were obtained by the Cassini-Huygens Visual Infrared Mapping Spectrometer during the 26 October/13 December Titan fly-bys In contrast to the reddish surface, bright clouds residing above most of the atmospheric absorption appear whitish in these representations. Saharan Sand Dunes Found on Saturn's Moon Titan Credit: Science. Image of the Belet sand sea at about 12 degrees South and 100 degrees West on Titan. Cassini Spacecraft Observes Titan's Northern Seas Credit: JPL/NASA/Univ. of Arizona/CNRS/LPGNantes Observations of the northern seas of Titan by Cassini's Visual and Infrared Mapping Spectrometer, or VIMS, (left and center) and by RADAR (right). Titan in Motion: New Video of Landing on Saturn's Moon Credit: ESA/NASA/JPL/University of Arizona.

This image is part of a four-minute and 40-second video based on data from Europe's Huygen's probe, which landed on Saturn's moon Titan on January 14, 2005. Patch of Saturn's Moon Resembles Earth Credit: NASA/JPL A network of river channels is located atop Xanadu, the continent-sized region on Saturn's moon Titan. This radar image was captured by the Cassini Radar Mapper on April 30, 2006. Scientists to Scan Titan's Atmosphere From Earth Credit: NASA/JPL/Space Science Intstitute. The haze of Titan's atmosphere stands out in this image taken by the Cassini spacecraft currently orbiting Saturn. Lakes Found on Saturn's Moon Titan Credit: NASA/JPL The Cassini spacecraft, using its radar system, has discovered very strong evidence for hydrocarbon lakes on Titan. Dark patches, which resemble terrestrial lakes, seem to be sprinkled all over the high latitudes surrounding Titan's north pole.

Image Titan: A Tale of Two Worlds Credit: NASA/JPL This radar image of the surface of Saturn's moon Titan was acquired on October 26, 2004, when the Cassini spacecraft flew approximately 994 miles (1,600 kms) above the surface. Brighter areas may correspond to rougher terrains and darker areas are thought to be smoother. This image highlights some of the darker terrain, which the Cassini team dubbed "Si-Si the Cat." This nickname was chosen after a team member's daughter, Si-Si, pointed out that the dark terrain has a cat-like appearance. Image Saturn's Moon Titan a World of Rivers and Lakes Credit: NASA/JPL/USGS A false-color image of Titan's surface snapped by NASA's Cassini spacecraft on July 22, 2006. The lakes appear darker than the surrounding terrain because of the unique way they scatter radar, which is similar to how water lakes on Earth do it. Four Moons to Cross Saturn's Face Tuesday Credit: Phil Nicholson/NASA Saturn's rings are wide but very thin. Astronomers using the Hubble Space Telescope captured this image of the rings edge-on in 1995.

New Images: Huge Seas on Saturn's Moon Titan Credit: NASA/JPL/GSFC This side-by-side image shows a Cassini radar image (on the left) of what is the largest body of liquid ever found on Titan's north pole, compared to Lake Superior (on the right). This close-up is part of a larger image and offers strong evidence for seas on Titan. These seas are most likely liquid methane and ethane. Astronomers Puzzled by Titan's Missing Craters Credit: NASA/JPL The huge impact crater Menrva was spotted by the Cassini radar instrument on 15 February 2005 on Titan and has an outer diameter of 440 kilometers. It resembles a large crater or part of a ringed basin, either of which could be formed when a comet or asteroid tens of kilometres in size crashed into Titan. Earth's Future Glimpsed on Titan Credit: NASA/JPL/University of Arizona Composite view of Titan built with Cassini images taken on Oct. 9 and Oct. 25, 2006. Huygens Data Paint Turbulent Picture of Titan Credit: NASA Artist's impression of the descent and landing sequence followed by the Huygens probe to Titan.

On Titan, A Dreary Drizzle Credit: Mate Adamkovics/UC Berkeley Near-infrared images of Titan's surface and lower troposphere can be subtracted to reveal widespread cirrus-like clouds of frozen methane (lower images) and a large patch of liquid methane (dark area within box) interpreted as clouds and morning drizzle above the huge continent of Xanadu (outline). At left is a chart of Titan's aerosol haze versus altitude. Titan Has More Oil Than Earth Credit: Steven Hobbs (Brisbane, Queensland, Australia) An artist's imagination of hydrocarbon pools, icy and rocky terrain on the surface of Saturn's largest moon Titan. Evidence for Ocean Found at Saturn's Moon Titan Credit: NASA/JPL This image shows bodies of liquid near Titan's north pole. It show that many of the features commonly associated with lakes on Earth, such as islands, bays, inlets and channels, are also present on this cold Saturnian moon. Veil Lifts on Titan's Great Secrets Credit: NASA/JPL/University of Arizona. A composite of several Cassini images shows Titan's varied surface, including possibly a remnant of an old impact basin (large circular feature near the center of Titan's disk).

Mountain ranges to the southeast of the circular feature, and the dark linear feature to the northwest of the circular impact scar may be evidence of past tectonic activity. Saturn Surprises Spur Cassini Mission Reprise Credit: NASA/JPL/Space Science Institute The most detailed image ever made of Saturn and its rings was sent by the Cassini spacecraft on October 6, 2004. On Titan: It's Raining Methane Credit: NASA/JPL/Space Science Institute. Cassini images of Titan's south polar region taken in 2005 (right top and bottom) show dark areas that were not present in the 2004 images (left top and bottom) represent lakes. During the year that elapsed between the images, clouds (bright features) frequently appeared and suggest methane rain could be responsible for the new lake features. Saturn Photographed with Four Moons Credit: NASA, ESA, and the Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA) In this view, the giant orange moon Titan casts a large shadow onto Saturn's north polar hood. Below Titan, near the ring plane and to the left is the moon Mimas, casting a much smaller shadow onto Saturn's equatorial cloud tops.

Farther to the left, and off Saturn's disk, are the bright moon Dione and the fainter moon Enceladus. The Forecast on Titan: Pretty Darn Good Clouds linger unexpectedly on Saturn's Moon Titan. Titan: A World Much Like Earth Credit: NASA/JPL This mosaic of image swaths from Cassini's Titan Radar Mapper features a large dark region that has many characteristics in common with lakes, including its channels and interior, yet its differences distinguish it from other similar features. At the top (north), the feature has characteristics of a shoreline, with round bay-like margins and channels that drain into it; at left (west) and right (east) it is rimmed by bright, feathery, branching channel-like structures. Tropical Storm Spotted on Saturn's Moon Titan Credit: Gemini Observatory/AURA/Henry Roe, Lowell Observatory/Emily Schaller, Insitute for Astronomy, University of Hawaii Gemini North infrared image of Saturn and Titan (at about 6 o'clock position), obtained on May 7, 2009.

Largest Lake on Saturn's Moon Titan Gets Close-Up Credit: NASA/JPL/Space Science Institute This image was taken on June 07, 2010 and received on Earth June 07, 2010. The camera was pointing toward Titan at approximately 1,110,349 kilometers (690,000 miles) away, and the image was taken using the CL1 and CB3 filters. This image has not been validated or calibrated. A validated/calibrated image will be archived with the NASA Planetary Data System in 2011. Nuclear-Powered Robot Ship Could Sail Seas of Titan Credit: NASA. An artist concept of proposed mission to the Saturn system, the Titan Saturn System Mission, which includes a mothership, lake lander and a balloon probe. Saturn's Eccentric Orbit Could Explain Moon's Lopsided Lakes Credit: Copyright Kees Veenenbos A possible view of the Titan surface with a methane sea. There's still a lot of guessing whether Titan has a lake or lakes which contain liquid fluids like methane or hydrocarbon.

If they exist they will not be larger than a few kilometers as the first detailed photographs of the Cassini show us (fall/winter 2005). Terrain made with Cassini radar data. (made with the grey scale map I made from the 'shoreline' Titan radar map). Sunlight Glints off Liquid Lake on Titan Credit: NASA/JPL/University of Arizona/DLR. This image, obtained using Cassini's Visual and Infrared Mapping Spectrometer (VIMS), shows the first observed flash of sunlight reflected off a lake on Saturn's moon Titan. Scientists Cook Up Saturn Moon Cocktail on Earth Credit: NASA/JPL/GSFC This feature on Titan is at least 100,000 square kilometers (39,000 square miles), which is greater in extent than Lake Superior (82,000 square kilometers or 32,000 square miles), which is one of Earth’s largest lakes. Can Life on Titan Thrive Without Water? Credit: NASA/JPL/USGS The irregular black shapes in this Cassini radar image of Titan's northern polar region are believed to be liquid methane-ethane lakes.

Saturn's Moon Titan Is Slushy Inside Credit: NASA/JPL This artist's illustration shows the likely slushy interior structure of Saturn's moon Titan deduced from gravity field data collected by NASA's Cassini spacecraft. Full Story . Giant Sand Dunes on Titan Shaped by Backward Winds Credit: NASA/JPL/Space Science Institute. Full Story . Scientists have used data from the Cassini radar mapper to map the global wind pattern on Saturn's moon Titan using data collected over a four-year period, as depicted in this image. Ice on a Volcano Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/USGS/University of Arizona Wednesday, January 19, 2011: This topographic image shows an area of Saturn's moon Titan, known as Sotra Facula, which may harbor an ice volcano (cryovolcano). Finger-like flows suggest the presence of cryovolcanism. NASA's Cassini spacecraft collected data for this false-color image in which heights are exaggerated by a factor of 10.

--Tom Chao titan-aerosol-moon-saturn Credit: NASA/JPL/Space Science Institute The blurring effects of Titan's aerosol are obvious in this image, where the orange moon peeks from behind two of Saturn's rings. Small, battered Epimetheus, another of Saturn's 62 moons, appears just above the rings. titan northern half Credit: NASA/JPL/Space Science Institute Titan's northern half, where it's early spring, appears slightly darker than the southern half, where it's early fall, in this image taken on March 22, 2010. Like Earth, Titan has four distinct seasons, each of which lasts about seven of Earth's years. Moons on the Move Credit: NASA/JPL/Space Science Institute Titan emerges from behind Saturn while Tethys streaks into view in this colorful scene on March 24, 2008. Titan is 5,150 kilometers (3,200 miles) wide; Tethys is 1,071 kilometers (665 miles) wide. Saturn's shadow darkens the far arm of the rings near the planet's limb.

Flowing Liquids on Titan Credit: NASA/JPL Abundant evidence for flowing liquids is seen in this view of Saturn’s moon Titan, from sinuous, wide river channels to shorter, more chaotic drainage patterns. This radar view of Titan's south pole was taken on Dec. 20, 2007. Titan Approaches Saturn Credit: NASA/JPL/Space Science Institute Swathed in its thick blanket of atmosphere, frigid Titan approaches the brilliant limb of Saturn on March 14, 2008. Titan - methane rain Credit: NASA/JPL/Space Science Institute NASA’s Cassini spacecraft chronicled the change of seasons as it captured clouds concentrated near the equator of Saturn’s largest moon, Titan, on Oct. 18, 2010. Titan's Seasonal Precipitation Credit: P. Huey/Science © 2011 AAAS Cloudy with rain. Simplified global atmospheric circulation and precipitation pattern on Titan and Earth. Most precipitation occurs at the intertropical convergence zone, or ITCZ, where air ascends as a result of convergence of surface winds from the northern and southern directions.

Titan’s ITCZ was previously near the south pole (A) but is currently on its way to the north pole (B). The seasonal migration of the ITCZ on Earth is much smaller (C and D). This image appears in a Perspective by Tetsuya Tokano titled, "Precipitation Climatology on Titan." Craters on Titan and Callisto Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech Surface features observed by NASA's Cassini spacecraft at the Xanadu region on Saturn's moon Titan (left), and features observed by NASA's Galileo probe on Jupiter's moon Callisto (right). Scientists think the Titan features are eroded impact craters rather than signs of volcanic activity. Giant Lake Confirmed on Saturn's Moon Titan Credit: Right Image - NASA/JPL/University of Arizona; Left image - NASA/JPL/Space Science Institute. A partial view of Titan's Ontariou Lacus (right image) from 680 miles away, or 1,100 km away, shows what appears to be a beach in the lower right of the image, below the bright lake shoreline. An image was also taken of the lake feature in June 2005 (left image).

Cassini view of Titan, looking for clouds Credit: NASA/JPL/Space Science Institute NASA's Cassini spacecraft peers through the murk of Titan's thick atmosphere in this view, taken with Cassini's narrow-angle camera on Sept. 25, 2008. Europe's Huygens Probe Landed in Titan Mud Credit: ESA/NASA/University of Arizona. The Huygens probe took this photo from the surface of Titan. The image has been colored and processed to give a good indication of the actual orangeish color of the surface. False-color Titan This false-color image from NASA's Cassini spacecraft shows Titan in ultraviolet and infrared wavelengths. Global Map of the Surface of Titan Credit: JPL/NASA/Univ. of Arizona/CNRS/LPGNantes Global mosaic of Visual and Infrared Mapping Spectrometer (VIMS) images acquired during the nominal and equinox Cassini mission. Differences in composition translate into subtle differences of colors in this mosaic, revealing the diversity of terrains on Titan, such as the brownish equatorial dune fields or the bright, elevated terrains.

Saturn's Rings, Titan and Enceladus Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Space Science Institute Saturn’s icy moon Enceladus hangs below the gas giant’s rings while Titan lurks in the background, in this new image taken by the Cassini spacecraft on March 12, 2012. Simulating Titan-Like Smog Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech In a laboratory experiment at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., scientists simulating the atmosphere of Saturn's moon Titan have brewed up complex organic molecules that they think could eventually lead to the building blocks of life. In this picture, molecules of dicyanoacetylene are seen on a special film on a sapphire window. They are the result of exposing simple organic molecules known to exist at Titan with sun-like radiation on Aug. 4, 2010. Image released April 2, 2013.

Cassini: Mission to Saturn: Overview Magnetosphere Science Overview From 20 degrees above the ring plane, Cassini’s wide angle camera shot 75 exposures in succession for this mosaic showing Saturn, its rings and a few of its moons a day and a half after exact Saturn equinox, when the sun’s disk was exactly overhead at the planet’s equator. Image credit: NASA/JPL/Space Science Institute Before Cassini, we had only brief glimpses of the discoveries awaiting us at Saturn. Pioneer 11 and Voyagers 1 and 2 conducted flybys decades ago, taking pictures, measurements and observations as they zoomed past. These missions shed new light on Saturn’s complicated ring system, discovered new moons and made the first measurements of Saturn’s magnetosphere. But these quick encounters didn’t allow time for more extensive scientific research. Cassini changed all that. It began the first in-depth, up-close study of Saturn and its system of rings and moons in 2004. It became the first spacecraft to orbit Saturn, beginning a mission that yielded troves of new insights over more than a decade.

The Saturnian system proved to be rich ground for exploration and discoveries, and Cassini's science findings changed the course of future planetary exploration. "We're looking at a string of remarkable discoveries -- about Saturn's magnificent rings, its amazing moons, its dynamic magnetosphere and Titan's surface and atmosphere," said Linda Spilker, Cassini's project scientist. "Some of the mission highlights so far include discovering that Titan has Earth-like processes and that the small moon Enceladus has a hot-spot at its southern pole, plus jets on the surface that spew out ice crystals, and liquid water beneath its surface." Cassini let us see beneath Titan's thick orange haze. This synthetic aperture radar image taken by Cassini has abundant evidence for flowing liquids, from sinuous, wide river channels to shorter, more chaotic drainage patterns. Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASI Studying Saturn’s Many Moons Some of the most surprising scientific findings have come from encounters with Saturn’s fascinating, dynamic moons. Cassini's observations of Saturn's largest moon, Titan, have given scientists a glimpse of what Earth might have been like before life evolved.

They now believe Titan possesses many parallels to Earth, including lakes, rivers, channels, dunes, rain, clouds, mountains and possibly volcanoes. The data from the Cassini spacecraft and the European Space Agency's Huygens probe, which plunged through Titan's dense, smoggy atmosphere to land on its surface in 2005, have generated hundreds of scientific articles and been the subject of special issues of the world’s most important scientific journals. Enceladus, too, proved to be a rich source of discovery. The spray of icy particles from the surface jets forms a towering plume three times taller than the width of Enceladus itself. Cassini confirmed that the plume feeds particles into Saturn's most expansive ring, the E ring. The spacecraft has come as close as 15 miles (25 kilometers) from the moon's icy surface during its investigation, revealing the presence of a global subsurface ocean that might have conditions suitable for life. Saturn's moon Enceladus backlit by the sun show the fountain-like sources of the fine spray of material that towers over the south polar region.

Image credit: NASA/JPL/Space Science Institute Extending the Mission The Cassini mission has seen two mission extensions, allowing for more flybys, investigations and measurements, over a longer span of time. When its initial four-year tour of the Saturn system was complete in 2008, the Cassini-Huygens saga had brought a new dimension of understanding to the complex and diverse Saturn system. The two-year Cassini Equinox Mission brought continued excitement. During that first extended mission, the spacecraft made 60 additional orbits of Saturn, 26 flybys of Titan, seven of Enceladus, and one each of Dione, Rhea and Helene. The Equinox mission allowed for observations of Saturn's rings as the sun lit them edge-on, revealing a host of never-before-seen insights into the rings' structure. Since 2010, the spacecraft has conducted a second, seven-year-long, extended mission called the Cassini Solstice Mission. This final mission will conclude with a phase known as The Grand Finale -- 22 deep dives between Saturn's cloud tops and innermost ring before it plunges into the giant planet's atmosphere. Why “Equinox” and “Solstice”?

Saturn’s axis is tilted with respect to its orbit around the sun, similar to Earth. And just like on Earth, Saturn has seasons as a result of this tilt. But on Saturn, one season lasts seven Earth years. Cassini initially arrived just after Saturn's northern winter solstice, and the Solstice Mission continues until a few months past the northern summer solstice in May 2017. A complete seasonal period on Saturn has never been studied at this level of detail. The Solstice mission schedule allows for an additional 155 orbits around the planet, 54 flybys of Titan and 11 flybys of the icy moon Enceladus. Science Instruments Cassini carries 12 science instruments to collect a wide range of information about the Saturnian environment. These sophisticated devices take images across the infrared, visible and ultraviolet light spectra, detect dust particles, and characterize Saturn's plasma environment and magnetosphere.

Question: Titan is the largest moon of which planet?
Answer: Saturn